Speeder Bike With Plo Koon - TCW [SOTDS] - Deluxe

Plo Koon rides a speeder bike into battle against the forces of the Separatist Droid Army. This stern and imposing Jedi sits on the High Council and comes from a long line of Jedi who have all been strong in the Force. His customized speeder has additional weapons to create a swift, maneuverable and heavily armed vehicle for intense combat situations.

Just like Cad Bane, Plo Koon gets updated with a little bit more articulation, although he had to wait a lot longer to get this treatment unlike Cad Bane. Plo Koon is a favorite Jedi not only by collectors, but by Dave Filoni too. So we assume Plo Koon has some clout when Hasbro determines which types of toys make it into the main line. Plo Koon get “almost” royal treatment with his release in the Deluxe line and fans of the carded figure, 2008's TCW Plo Koon (No. 14), have a lot to get excited about this figure. The original basic figure had a wonderful base sculpt from which Hasbro could build upon to make him eventually better and that time is finally here. With increased articulation and the inclusion of soft-goods, Speeder Bike With Plo Koon is a worthy addition to the ever-growing line. There are some other things Hasbro has done to enhance this new version of Plo Koon, but likely you’ll be more excited by the enhanced articulation before any other upgrade. The Deluxe line is really coming through for collectors and we bet that it will continue on this successful path. But maybe it would be wiser for Hasbro to include the updated versions of these characters in the basic figure line first. Or maybe this is exactly what they are hoping for that collectors will buy the less –articulated style in the basic line first and then the more-articulated version with the vehicle second.

Plo Koon has been given a much darker paint job. He looks unique from both the 2008 TCW Plo Koon (No. 14) basic figure (which is much lighter in skin tone) and the figure included with the Ambush At Abregado TARGET exclusive Battle Packs set (which is much more orange in color). So Plo Koon is really getting around the color spectrum when it comes to the color of his melanin. Apparently this is what Hasbro decides to do to Plo Koon as the realistic line has given him multiple shades of skin color as well. But believe it or not, the figure included in this Deluxe set may just be the closest to the way he actually appears in The Clone Wars television series. This may be puzzling because the figure is definitely dark, but if you compare it to a still from the TV show, you will see the dark colors encompassing the tan skin color below. Plo Koon also comes with a nicely cut soft-goods skirt that is necessary for him to straddle his speeder, but also looks great when posing him standing up off of the bike. Hasbro ensured that they cut a very nice diamond shape out of the fabric they used and it really does a lot for the aesthetics of the figure. Counting all of his points of movement, Plo Koon is indeed super-articulated and call us snobs, but we think all Jedi should be blessed with 14 points of articulation.

Plo Koon’s Speeder Bike is very nicely done too. But it is unfortunately way too soft and we are aggravated time and again by Hasbro’s use of flimsy plastics to make their products. The whole front portion of the bike bends even when lying against the ground and this just isn’t acceptable any more. We really need for them to step up their game and give our small-sized vehicles some sturdiness they need In order to interact with an action figure. Underneath the bike is a cannon that can detach and it actually does more for the bike than you may realize. Thank to its placement, it can serve as a stand and hold the wilting Speeder Bike up a little bit better than it can do on its own. (This is bittersweet isn’t it?) When you get Plo Koon situated on the Speeder Bike you will be thrilled. He looks absolute the coolest on this bike and he looks like he is riding it very realistically. You can have him grasp the handlebars and hold on to them without issue. But you will need your hand to keep the bike from falling over if you choose to display it unaided. His Speeder Bike has been painted in a design that mimics his Jedi starfighter perfectly. So we love the crossover/connecting the dots aspect of this vehicle. Whatever your decision is on this set, the Deluxe vehicles are off to a great start in the “Shadow Of The Dark Side” phase of The Clone Wars line. We are eager to see where Hasbro takes this line next!